Case Number 20213: Small Claims Court

Cyrus

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All Rise...

Judge Daniel Kelly is very protective of his DVD collection, so don't try to f**k that either.

Editor's Note

Our reviews of Cyrus (published January
19th, 2011) and Cyrus (Blu-Ray)
(published December 27th, 2010) are also available.

The Charge

Don't f**k his mom.

The Case

Upon its limited theatrical release a few months ago, Fox very much seemed to
be marketing Cyrus as a broad dysfunctional family comedy. The casting of
mainstream stars like Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, and John C. Reilly seemed to
support this theory, with the advertising campaign playing up the obvious
"don't fuck his mom" angle a little too heavily. However in reality,
Cyrus is a quirky and reserved effort, a slight comedy laced with some
interesting commentary concerning offbeat family dynamics. It's a truly charming
motion picture and a pleasantly executed surprise for filmgoers who missed it
during its initial and relatively brief run in theatres.

John (John C. Reilly, Boogie
Nights) is a struggling bachelor, still emotionally distraught after his
divorce seven years ago. His ex-wife (Catherine Keener, Please Give) remains a close friend, but the
fact she is set to be remarried only compounds John's grief further. At a party
one evening John meets Molly (Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler), an extremely attractive
singleton with an unusually sweet nature. Much to John's surprise the angelic
Molly quickly takes an interest in him, and the two shoot headfirst into a
relationship within days. Things appear to be going swimmingly until Molly
reveals her dirty little secret; she has an odd 21-year-old son named Cyrus
(Jonah Hill, Get Him to the
Greek) who still resides at home with her. At the start this isn't
particularly troubling; the relationship between Molly and Cyrus is perhaps a
little touchy for John's liking, but in order to be with his new girlfriend he's
willing to deal with it. However Cyrus doesn't react as apathetically to the
situation, slyly beginning to move against John so that he can once again have
his mother to himself.

The film maintains a consistently "indie" vibe throughout, not
surprising given it was helmed by the Duplass siblings, two of the bigger names
on the independent scene in the last five years. There is nothing conventional
about Cyrus bar the meet cute at the movie's beginning; everything else
from the tone of the story to the characterization is refreshingly unique. The
Duplass brothers (who also wrote the screenplay) have designed a trio of
individual screen entities, the filmmakers giving each character an engaging and
intriguing personality. The film fleshes out the relationships with depth and
honesty, allowing viewers to become actively invested within the low key tale
unfolding onscreen. Cyrus is definitely a production more focused on
character than plot, the director's using intimate writing and strong
performances to drive the movie instead of spectacular storytelling. The central
narrative in Cyrus is perfectly acceptable, but it's the three
dimensional characterization of the main players which allows the film to
flourish as a rewarding watch.

Reilly, Tomei, and Hill are all uniformly brilliant, the latter really
moving out of his comfort zone to make the title character a believable
presence. Hill never renders Cyrus a totally reprehensible entity, but at the
same time infuses him with a subtle weirdo factor that keeps the turn
unsettling. Tomei and Reilly have a lovely chemistry together, both thespians
delivering well judged and emotive performances. The film makes the audience
genuinely care for the future of the central romance, but also keeps Cyrus a
somewhat sympathetic figure. His actions are questionable, but his motives come
from a place of devotion to his mother, meaning that it becomes impossible to
fully despise the character.

There are some decent laughs to be had, but they're of a much darker ilk
than the advertising suggests. The dialogue has a very realistic bent to it,
resulting in humor that often develops out of a truthful and relatable place.
More impressive is the film's backhanded excavation of family life, exploring an
unusual maternal bond poignantly, and touching on the effects an intruder can
have on such a fragile relationship. Cyrus has more under the bonnet than
most features, and the Duplass brothers are insistent about avoiding coating the
picture in a layer of false Hollywood pap. From a technical standpoint it's a
rather bland looking movie, although this might be a deliberately stylistic
choice to enhance the organic feel the picture permeates. Of course it could
also be a case of the budget not stretching any further than the impressive
cast. The Duplass brothers also wield the camera rather creatively, favoring
close ups to capture hidden feelings and mood changes offered by the
protagonists. It's just another example of how focused Cyrus is on its
band of characters.

The DVD provided by Fox was a screener; as such no assessment of video or
audio capability has been made in this review. The technical assets seen on this
disc may not be representative of the retail version, and thus no score has been
assigned in these areas. The only extra on the DVD (aside from a few trailers
and previews) is some deleted scenes, all of which are fascinating, but the film
is well paced so their exclusion from the final cut was probably a wise
choice.

The Verdict

Cyrus isn't particular heavy fare, but it's a tender and affecting
piece of art none the less. Not Guilty.